Kolkata Police transfers 18 inspectors in city-wide reshuffle
Synopsis
Kolkata Police has reshuffled 18 inspectors across city stations, including an unusual order keeping a newly promoted Assistant Commissioner in charge of Bhowanipur Police Station. The move follows a state-level reshuffle of 33 IPS officers just weeks ago — and a notable clustering of postings into the Intelligence Branch hints at deliberate recalibration of the city's security apparatus.
Key Takeaways
Kolkata Police transferred 18 inspectors across city police stations and units on 1 August .
Soumitra Basu , promoted to Assistant Commissioner on Friday, was simultaneously reinstated as OC of Bhowanipur Police Station .
Akhilesh Jha and Kaushik Sarkar were both posted to the Intelligence Branch , signalling a reinforcement of the city's intelligence setup.
The inspector reshuffle follows the West Bengal government's transfer of 33 IPS officers on 14 July .
IPS officer Supratim Sarkar was moved from the state intelligence chief role; Natarajan Ramesh Babu was appointed as his replacement.
Kolkata Police carried out a fresh administrative reshuffle on Saturday, 1 August, transferring 18 inspectors posted across various police stations and units in the city, according to a senior police official. The exercise signals continued churn in the force's operational structure weeks after a broader state-level IPS reshuffle.
Key Transfers and Postings
An order issued by Ajay Nand, Commissioner of Kolkata Police, reinstated Soumitra Basu as Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Bhowanipur Police Station in south Kolkata. Notably, Basu had been promoted to the rank of Assistant Commissioner (AC) just a day earlier on Friday, yet the city police headquarters at Lalbazar directed him to continue overseeing Bhowanipur while holding his new rank — an unusual dual arrangement.
Prior to the Assembly elections earlier this year, Basu had been assigned charge of Bhowanipur Police Station before being moved to the Special Task Force (STF). Under the latest order, former Bhowanipur OC Rajiv Chatterjee has been posted as an inspector with the STF.
Other Notable Movements
Dilip Sarkar, OC of Garden Reach Police Station, has been transferred to Kolkata Traffic Police, while Akhilesh Jha, OC of Metiabruz Police Station, has been moved to the Intelligence Branch (IB). Kaushik Sarkar, previously with the Special Branch (SB), has also been posted to the Intelligence Branch.
On the inward side, Sayan Biswas, formerly with the Traffic Police, has been appointed OC of Metiabruz Police Station. Pratik Murmu, who served as Additional OC of Rabindra Sarobar Police Station, has been elevated to OC of Garden Reach Police Station. Surajit Bhattacharya, formerly Additional OC of Metiabruz, has been posted as Additional OC of Hare Street Police Station, while Deepak Basak from the Enforcement Branch (EB) has been appointed Additional OC of New Alipore Police Station.
Broader Context: State-Level IPS Reshuffle
The inspector-level transfers follow a sweeping reshuffle of 33 IPS officers by the West Bengal government on 14 July. Among the most significant changes in that exercise was the transfer of IPS officer Supratim Sarkar from his dual role as Additional Director General (ADG) of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) and state intelligence chief, to ADG, Telecommunications. Natarajan Ramesh Babu, who had been serving as Director General of Correctional Services, was appointed the new state intelligence chief.
What This Signals
Back-to-back reshuffles at both the IPS and inspector levels suggest the Kolkata Police administration is recalibrating its deployments ahead of what could be a politically sensitive period. The concentration of moves into the Intelligence Branch is particularly notable, as it points to a deliberate strengthening of the city's intelligence apparatus. How the new station-level officers perform in their postings will be closely watched in the weeks ahead.
Point of View
Now 18 inspectors — is not routine housekeeping. The routing of multiple officers into the Intelligence Branch, combined with the retention of a freshly promoted AC at a politically sensitive station like Bhowanipur, suggests Lalbazar is positioning its most trusted hands at pressure points. What the administration has not explained is the rationale for the dual arrangement for Soumitra Basu, which is structurally irregular. In a city where policing and politics are rarely far apart, the timing and pattern of these moves deserve closer scrutiny than they are likely to receive.
NationPress
1 Aug 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
How many inspectors were transferred in the Kolkata Police reshuffle?
Kolkata Police transferred 18 inspectors across various police stations and units in the city on 1 August, according to an order issued by Commissioner Ajay Nand.
Who is the new Officer-in-Charge of Bhowanipur Police Station?
Soumitra Basu has been reinstated as OC of Bhowanipur Police Station. He was promoted to Assistant Commissioner on Friday but has been directed by Lalbazar to continue overseeing the station in addition to his new rank.
How does this reshuffle connect to the recent IPS officer transfers in West Bengal?
The inspector-level reshuffle follows the West Bengal government's transfer of 33 IPS officers on 14 July. That exercise saw Supratim Sarkar moved from the state intelligence chief role, with Natarajan Ramesh Babu appointed in his place.
Which officers were posted to the Intelligence Branch in this reshuffle?
Akhilesh Jha, former OC of Metiabruz Police Station, and Kaushik Sarkar, formerly of the Special Branch, were both posted to the Intelligence Branch as part of the 1 August reshuffle.
Who has been appointed OC of Garden Reach Police Station after the reshuffle?
Pratik Murmu, who was serving as Additional OC of Rabindra Sarobar Police Station, has been appointed OC of Garden Reach Police Station. The previous OC, Dilip Sarkar, was transferred to Kolkata Traffic Police.
